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| LUFKIN - The Longview Lobo football team transformed a dismal District 8-AAAA season into a bright cheerful ending here Friday night in Panther Stadium with a 21 to 6 victory over the powerful Lufkin's Panthers.
Lobos truly outplayed the Panthers from the start of the contest until the last buzzer sounded. The Panthers were hardly in the contest during the first and second quarters. This is the first Lobo football team coached by Ty Bain to beat the Panthers. In 1963, the Panthers posted a 28 to 6 in here and last year the Panthers defeated Longview in Lobo Stadium, 14 to 8. Lufkin leads the series 12-9-2 which started back in 1932. The victory was truly a team effort by the entire Lobo club. All players who made the trip here Friday night saw action. Longview recorded 19 first downs and Lufkin could only muster 10. The Lobos recorded 209 yards rushing and 113 in the passing department for a net total of 322 yards. Quarterback James Street turned in another fine job of guiding the club in victory. However, he had plenty of help from his top-notch linemen and great backfield runners of fullback Larry Gregg, tailback Skippy Archer, wingback Cecil Newton and wingback Ronnie Bagley. Cecil Newton must be given a "pat-on-the-back" for his excellent pass catching. He caught three bombs from sTreet, for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Strongish end Mike Maberry had a very good night in the pass catching. He caught three for 28 yards and tailback Hill landed two for 13 yards. Newton's punting was also outstanding. He punted three times for 117 yards for an average 39.0 yards per try. Coach Ty Bain's Lobos in a wild-eyed throbbing thriller that left fans limped, inspired Longview gridders displayed some unbelievably offensive fireworks here Friday night in the first and second quarters to give the Lobos a 7 to 0 halftime lead. Those Lobos wallowed on the wet turf in Panther Stadium and enjoyed every minute of it. The Lobos completely dominated the first half of play. Longview record 10 first downs to Lufkin's two. Longview rushed for 47 yards and the Panthers posted 30. In the passing department. The Lobos led with 62 yards and Lufkin had 35. Net yards gained for Longview was 109 yards and the Panthers could only must 65. The Lobos went to the air seven times and completed five. Lufkin threw five passes and completed three. The Longview captains lost the flip-of-the-coin and Billy Cabbiness kicked off for the Lobos. Quarterback Dick Sheffield took the ball on the Lufkin five and sprinted up the middle to the 27 before he was given a shoe string tackle by a great host of Lobos. From the 27 the Panthers had things going for them. Fullback Morris Parrish, 170-pounds, plowed his way to the 30. Again Tompkins took the old pigskin and went to the 34 before he was stopped. On the next play Tompkins was grounded for a loss of three by defensive standout Chal Barnwell of Longview. On fourth down Parrish was forced to punt. The ball rolled and rolled to the Lobo 28 yard line. Quarterback James Street gave his boys a good oiling and the Lobos started moving the ball like a championship club against a strong Lufkin ball team. On three tries by Street and fullback Larry Gregg had moved the ball to the 38 yard line. From the 38, quarterback Street found room on a fine block by weak side Rodney Mitchell moved the 49 yard line of the Lobos for a gain of 11 yards. Gregg, Street and Bagley plowed their way to the 39 of Lufkin. The Big gainer was by wingback Bagley for 10 yards of excellent blocking by his teammates. On the 39 the Lobos lost the ball when fullback Gregg fumbled the wet ball and was recovered by Richard Nash. The Lobo defensive unit went to work and the Panthers recorded only four yards rushing by fullback Morris Parrish and right halfback Russell Thompkins before Parrish was called upon to boot the ball out. The punt was taken on the 25 by Street and returned to the 27. Lufkin's defense got tough against the Lobos and Street carried twice and one carry he was pushed back to the 15 for a loss of 12 yards. On third down tailback Cecil Newton fumbled the ball and was taken by Dick Sheffield on the 45 and returned to the 47 of Lufkin. So four plays later fullback Morris Parrish was forced to punt for the Panthers. Quarterback Street took the ball on the 15 and was hit so hard by the Panthers, he was pushed back to the 12. With 1:20 on the clock in the first quarter the Lobos started moving the ball again. On the first try tailback Skippy Archer plowed around right end to the 20 yard line. Then it was fullback Gregg who carried to the 24 for a first down. Archer was given room on the next play to the 27. The buzzer sounded to end the first quarter of action. With second down and seven needed for a first, Gregg went to the weakside for a gain of one to the 28. Then quarterback Street hit strongish end Mike Maberry at the 38 yard line with a bomb that nearly shook the small crowd out of the stadium not he Panther see of the stadium. The Lobos just couldn't be stopped in the touchdown drive with power of Street, Archer and Gregg did everything well. From the 38 of Longview, the Lobos moved the ball to the 50 yard line in three easy plays with Street carrying for seven. On the 50 Gregg plowed up the middle to the 48 of Lufkin before Street hit tailback Rodney Hill on a six yard pass to the 42. Then Gregg again carried to the 38. Quarterback Steve Judy entered the game. He barked the signals and handed the ball off to Street, who was moved to tailback. The fancy passer went to the air and strongside end Maberry caught the ball on the Lufkin 29 for a gain of 13 yards. The Lobos needed one for a first down. So Street on a keeper wine toff guard for the one to the 28. On the second play from the 28, quarterback Judy gave the ball off to Street, this time Street sailed the ball into the arms of Cecil Newton for a 28 yard touchdown pass and the Lobo fans went wild with cheers. With 5:35 left in the game, Keith Parker entered the game and used his "golden toe" to give the Lobos a 7 to 0 lead. The drive covered 88 yards and seven first downs. After a halftime talk by the Lufkin staff, the Panthers came back with fire in their eyes. They kicked off to Longview and the Lobos had trouble in moving the ball. So after Newton punted the ball out of bounds on the Lufkin 26 the Panthers took over. On the 26, the Lufkin team moved down the field and fullback Morris Parrish scored the lone touchdown of the night for the Panthers from the one yard line with 3:14 to go in the third chapter. Left halfback James Paulette failed to make the two pointer. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Street passed to Newton in the end zone for the second Lobo touchdown of the night with 9:49 on the clock. The pass was good for seven yards. But Newton's catch will long be remembered by fans in Panther Stadium. As Newton went up to catch the ball two Lufkin pass defenders jumped high too. One of the Panthers hit the ball and the ole pigskin fell into Newton's arms for a touchdown. Keith Parker added the extra point - via foot - to make the score, 14 to 6. Longview's final touchdown came when Street turned on his sped and sailed 76 yards for the goal line with seven minutes left in the game. Parker's kick again was good. This game must go down as one of the best played this year by the Lobos. Their hustle desire and willing to give that second effort was on display all four quarters. A young man by the name of Chal Barnwell must be given lots of credit for his outstanding playing on offense at center and defense. He recorded many, many tackles. The limited amounted of time quarterback Judy was in the game, he did a very outstanding job. Judy, 155-pound Sophomore, will likely be the first team quarterback next year of the Lobos. |